CRANBROOK ACADEMY OF ART GRADUATE DREGREE EXHIBITION 2025  
GRADUATES \\ WORK \\ ABOUT \\
DANIEL
RIBAR
DEPARTMENT
PHOTOGRAPHY



The clock in my bathroom has been faulty for over a month due to weak batteries. Knowing I can’t rely on it, I find I’m somehow more conscious of the time passing as I shower. The weight of a minute is felt and better understood in some way knowing I can’t rely on the hands being accurate. Does the clock still help me know time in this way? What’s the definition of a functioning object at this point?

Daniel Ribar is a multidisciplinary artist based in Detroit, Michigan.

Ribar believes we have more control over how we experience life and construct meaning than we often realize. Through his work, he encourages a rethinking of our default ways of processing and operating in the world around us.

Leaning on the familiar and the habitual as avenues for discovery, he examines existence by exploring the everyday and the known object. He investigates not only his reasoning and interactions with the world but also the experiences of others, drawing insight from observations in diverse settings—from gas station waiting lines to presidential campaign rallies, and everything in between.

Ribar has served as a returning guest lecturer at institutions such as the College for Creative Studies, Cranbrook Academy of Art, Harvard Graduate School of Design, and Wayne State University.

His work has been featured in publications such as Bloomberg Business, Booooooom, C41 Magazine, Fisheye Paris, i-D Magazine, IGNANT, The New York Times, and others.




Black & Blue
2024, Cinderblock, glass, and plastic, 1.5' x 1.5" x 1.75'
DIA Circle
2024, Bent grass, 20' x 20'
Karma Watch
2024, Wristwatch and acrylic casing, 5" x 5" x 5"
November 6th
2024, Digital Photograph, 16" x 20"